'London Built on Stolen Money', but an Indian is now Britain’s richest, richer than the Queen

For nearly 200 years, British colonial rule bled India of its wealth, gold, textiles, spices, and revenue, fueling London’s rise as a global power while leaving India impoverished. Sadhguru recently summed it up bluntly, calling London “a city built on stolen money from India.” Yet history has a twist: today, an Indian family’s fortune eclipses even the British royal wealth.

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HindujaFamilyReignsattheTopoftheUKRichList2025

The Hinduja family, an Indian-origin business dynasty, has once again topped the Sunday Times Rich List 2025 with a staggering £35.3 billion (₹3.7 million crore). That’s nearly 55 times the estimated personal wealth of King Charles III, valued at around £640 million. This is their fourth consecutive year at No. 1, outpacing rivals David and Simon Reuben by more than £8 billion.

AnEmpireThatSpanstheGlobe

The Hinduja Group operates across automotive, oil and gas, banking, IT, media, and healthcare, employing over 200,000 people worldwide. Among its UK crown jewels is the Raffles London Hotel, housed in the historic Old War Office at Whitehall.

StrategicMovesandLeadership

Guided by Gopichand (Gopi) Hinduja, the group made landmark acquisitions, Gulf Oil in 1984 and Ashok Leyland in 1987, cementing its place as a global industrial powerhouse. Gopichand took over as chairman in May 2023 after the death of his elder brother, Srichand (SP) Hinduja. Other brothers, Prakash in Monaco and Ashok in Mumbai, lead different arms of the business.

FromFamilyRifttoUnity

After years of legal battles over assets in courts from London to Switzerland, the brothers resolved their disputes in November 2022, choosing unity over division.

Also Read: 'London Mein India ka Bolbala...' Indians own more property than English people in The City

FromMumbaiRootstoBritishRichListRoyalty

What began as a modest trading venture in Mumbai over a century ago has grown into a diversified empire spanning continents. The irony is hard to miss: London, once enriched by plundering India, now sees its richest residents as Indians whose wealth towers over the monarchy itself.